High capacity shaft kiln

Abstract

A high capacity shaft kiln, which includes a plurality of vertical kiln shafts, a common heating unit and a cooling unit attached to the common heating unit. Each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts are sized and configured to receive a source of material, which descends from an upper end thereof to a lower end thereof, and wherein each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts has an inlet, which is sized and configured to receive a fuel source from a distribution device. The common heating unit is sized and configured to receive the source of material from the lower end of each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts.

1 . A high capacity shaft kiln comprising:
 a plurality of vertical kiln shafts, which are sized and configured to receive a source of material, which descends from an upper end thereof to a lower end thereof, and wherein each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts has an inlet, which is sized and configured to receive a fuel source from a distribution device;   a common heating unit which is sized and configured to receive the source of material from the lower end of each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts; and   a cooling unit attached to the common heating unit.   
     
     
         2 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts consist of a vertical conduit having an inlet on the upper end and an outlet on the lower end. 
     
     
         3 . The kiln of  claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust duct on an upper portion of each of the vertical kiln shafts. 
     
     
         4 . The kiln of  claim 3 , further comprising a damper within each of the exhaust ducts, and wherein the damper is sized and configured to control an airflow within the vertical kiln shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of kiln shafts has a material feeding device associated therewith, which is sized and configured to feed the source of material to the upper end of the vertical shaft kiln. 
     
     
         6 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical kiln shafts are parallel to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the common heating area has one or more gas distribution devices for distribution of a fuel source to the common heating area. 
     
     
         8 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the common heating area further includes a feeder area having a plurality of feeders, which are sized and configured to control the flowrate of the source of material within the kiln. 
     
     
         9 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit has one or more air inlets. 
     
     
         10 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the kiln shafts are steel shafts lined with a refractory material, such as alumina, magnesia and/or fireclay bricks. 
     
     
         11 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the source of material is placed into the upper end of each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts from a supply hopper and is discharged from the cooling unit into a collection hopper. 
     
     
         12 . The kiln of  claim 1 , further comprising a material feeding device which is sized and configured to control a feed of the source of material into each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts. 
     
     
         13 . The kiln of  claim 12 , wherein the material feeding device includes a metering and distribution mechanism, which is sized and configured to control the feed of the source of material into each of the plurality of kiln shafts. 
     
     
         14 . The kiln of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit has at least one outlet, which is sized and configured to disperse the source of material from the high capacity shaft kiln into a storage hopper. 
     
     
         15 . A high capacity shaft kiln comprising:
 a plurality of parallel vertical kiln shafts, which are sized and configured to receive a source of material, which descends from an upper end thereof to a lower end thereof, and wherein each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts has an inlet, which is sized and configured to receive a fuel source from a distribution device and an exhaust duct;   a common heating unit which is sized and configured to receive the source of material from the lower end of each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts; and   a cooling unit attached to the common heating unit.   
     
     
         16 . The kiln of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts consist of a vertical conduit having an inlet on the upper end and an outlet on the lower end. 
     
     
         17 . The kiln of  claim 16 , further comprising a damper within each of the exhaust ducts, and wherein the damper is sized and configured to control an airflow within the vertical kiln shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The kiln of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of kiln shafts has a material feeding device associated therewith, which is sized and configured to feed the source of material to the upper end of the vertical shaft kiln. 
     
     
         19 . The kiln of  claim 15 , wherein the common heating area has one or more gas distribution devices for distribution of a fuel source to the common heating area, and a feeder area having a plurality of feeders, which is sized and configured to control the flowrate of the source of material within the kiln. 
     
     
         20 . The kiln of  claim 15 , wherein the cooling unit has one or more air inlets. 
     
     
         21 . The kiln of  claim 15 , further comprising a material feeding device which is sized and configured to control a feed of the source of material into each of the plurality of vertical kiln shafts, and includes a metering and distribution mechanism which is sized and configured to control the feed of the source of material into each of the plurality of kiln shafts.